Aerials

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what progress has been made toward the extension of mobile telephone coverage on the A470(T); and what the anticipated timetable is for delivery;
	(2)  discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on the extension of mobile telephone coverage on the A470(T).

Cheryl Gillan: I have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues that affect Wales, including the extension of mobile telephone coverage along the A470.
	The Government has shortlisted six potential providers from the pre-qualitative questionnaires it received and the six providers will be invited to tender in due course. A list of those providers can be found at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/telecommunications_and_online/8757.aspx
	The Mobile Infrastructure Project's procurement timeline is for the award of the contract to be made around the end of this year and that the work would commence in early 2013 to be completed by the target date of the end of this Parliament in 2015.

Poverty: Children

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the effects of the Government's welfare policies on the level of child poverty in Wales since May 2010.

Cheryl Gillan: The Government are firmly committed to eradicating child poverty. In his report to Parliament, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith) made clear that, while income is important, considering this measure in isolation fails to properly reflect the real experience of poverty. The Government are developing more effective measurements of child poverty which will provide a more accurate picture in Wales and the UK. We will be launching a consultation seeking views on how to do this in the autumn.
	The Welsh Government also has responsibility for a number of factors that affect child poverty including its own Child Poverty Strategy and Delivery Plan for Wales. It is important that both strategies work together.

Tax Allowances: Pensioners

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  how many pensioners in Wales will be affected by the freezing of age-related allowances announced in Budget 2012;
	(2)  what the average monetary effect will be for pensioners in Wales as a result of the freezing of age-related allowances announced in Budget 2012.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Newport East (Jessica Morden), the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Cathy Jamieson), the hon. Member for Leeds West (Rachel Reeves) and the hon. Member for Glasgow North East (Mr Bain) on 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1204W, which provides available estimates of numbers and average monetary effects by country and region.

Drinking Banning Orders

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drink banning orders on (a) application and (b) conviction were issued in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Nottinghamshire and (iii) Ashfield constituency in the last three years.

James Brokenshire: Drinking banning orders were introduced on 31 August 2009. Between their date of introduction and 31 December 2011, 625 were issued in England and Wales, 55 upon application and 570 upon conviction. During the same period local justice Areas within Nottinghamshire have issued four drink banning orders upon application and 25 on conviction.
	Figures for the individual constituency area of Ashfield are not held centrally.
	Source:
	HM Courts Service (latest published figures available).

Extradition: USA

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to publish her response to the Baker Review of the UK-US extradition treaty.

Damian Green: The UK-US extradition treaty was only one area considered by the independent review of the UK's extradition arrangements chaired by Sir Scott Baker. The report was published on 18 October 2011. The Government is currently considering how to respond to what is a very detailed and complex review of nearly 500 pages and will report its conclusions to Parliament when this has been completed.

Bank Services

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the regulation protecting consumers from systems errors affecting online bank accounts.

Mark Hoban: It is a condition of a bank's license that it has adequate internal control mechanisms, and effective procedures to identify, manage and report on any risks to which it might be exposed.
	The application of the rules is a matter for the regulator, the Financial Services Authority. The regulator has set out specific requirements in its handbook for regulated firms relating to internal systems and controls. The handbook has statutory force.

Business: Loans

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of (a) businesses and (b) small and medium-sized businesses in (i) Witham constituency and (ii) Essex which have received bank loans since the conclusion of the Merlin Agreement.

Mark Hoban: Banks do not publish lending data at this level of disaggregation. However banks do provide a range of information on lending and the geographical location of such lending. As part of the British Banker Association (BBA) Better Finance Taskforce, the BBA committed to publishing an enhanced SME lending dataset that would include a regional breakdown. The first dataset was published on 20 March 2012 and will be published on a quarterly basis. The data include value of overdraft and loan balances, number and value of approved applications for new or increased loan and overdraft facilities, value of new or increased loans drawn down and value of loan repayments. These data can be found on the BBA website:
	http://www.bba.org.uk/statistics/article/banks-support-for-smes-july-to-december-2011

EU Internal Trade

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on current account transactions for goods and services as (a) imports and (b) exports between each EU member state and each other EU member state in each of the last 10 years.

Mark Hoban: The Treasury does not directly hold data on current account transactions for goods and services between EU member states.
	This data is compiled by the IMF and published in the Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS) database, which is available online at
	http://elibrary-data.imf.org/DataExplorer.aspx

Excise Duties: Gaming Machines

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to lower the rate of machine games duty in the event that it generates more revenue than the revenue-neutral estimate.

Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 April 2012, Official Report, columns 1068-69W, to the hon. Member for Colchester (Sir Bob Russell).
	The Government believes the announced rate to be revenue neutral and foresees no requirement to change it. However, the Government keeps all taxes under review. Any future changes to tax rates would take into account a wide range of factors.

National Loan Guarantee Scheme

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many loans have been (a) offered and (b) taken up by businesses under the National Loan Guarantee Scheme since its launch.

Mark Hoban: Over 10,000 loans have been offered to businesses under the National Loan Guarantee Scheme in the first three months since its launch. The Government is in the process of appointing an auditor for the NLGS and will report in due course.

National Loan Guarantee Scheme

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many loans he expects to be made under the National Loan Guarantee Scheme during financial year (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14; and what the total expected value is of those loans.

Mark Hoban: The Government has set aside £20 billion to provide guaranteed funding to banks over two years. It is up to banks to decide how many loans they will make under the scheme.

Overseas Trade: Commonwealth

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on current account transactions for goods and services as (a) imports and (b) exports between each Commonwealth member state and each other Commonwealth member state in each of the last 10 years.

Mark Hoban: The Treasury does not directly hold data on current account transactions for goods and services between commonwealth member states.
	This data is compiled by the IMF and published in the Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS) database, which is available online at
	http://elibrary-data.imf.org/DataExplorer.aspx

Pay

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to introduce regional pay since 20 March 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: May I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the opposition debate on regional pay on 20 June 2012, Official Report, columns 937-86.

Academies: Primary Education

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will ask officials in his Department to notify (a) the relevant local education authority and (b) the hon. Member for the relevant constituency when his Department initiates contact with a primary school regarding possible conversion to academy status.

Nick Gibb: All primary schools that are performing well can apply to convert to academy status. Any primary school, irrespective of performance, can apply to join an established academy trust. Primary schools initiate this process by submitting an application to the Department for Education.
	The Academies Act 2010 requires the governing body of a converting school to consult interested parties. Schools decide how they wish to do this and whom to consult. Departmental officials encourage schools to consult their local authority as part of this process.
	The Government aims to find sponsors for the worst performing schools so they can reopen as sponsored academies. Departmental officials work closely with local authorities wherever possible to identify schools and sponsors as well as engaging directly with the school. As a result, local authorities will know which schools in their area may become sponsored academies.
	In all cases, the Secretary of State writes to local authorities to notify them when he issues an academy order in relation to a school. He also writes to the Member of Parliament in whose constituency the school is located when a funding agreement is signed.

Drugs: Internet

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what the total cost to the public purse has been of the re-launch of the Frank website;
	(2)  how many (a) unique and (b) total visitors there were to the Frank website in each month since May 2010.

Sarah Teather: The total cost of the re-launch of the FRANK website was £199,000. This includes £145,000 to design, test and build the new website and £54,000 to design and build the mobile site.
	Unique and total visitors to the FRANK website are detailed in the following table. Note that from December 2011 total visits to the website include those visiting the FRANK mobile site.
	
		
			 Number 
			  Total visits to site Unique visits to site 
			 May 2010 to March 2011   
			 2010   
			 May 222,063 183,101 
			 June 190,626 158,475 
			 July 164,563 137,185 
			 August 154,348 127,746 
			 September 205,021 171,850 
			 October 227,596 188,270 
			 November 241,213 199,583 
			 December 175,214 145,304 
			    
			 2011   
			 January 268,083 223,398 
			 February 239,603 200,781 
			 March 268,641 223,594 
			    
			 FY 2011/12   
			 2011   
			 April 181,509 151,982 
			 May 230,699 193,692 
			 June 231,194 193,945 
			 July 204,693 172,701 
			 August 184,273 156,928 
			 September 235,049 201,518 
			 October 303,206 259,152 
			 November 412,349 335,150 
			 December 357,835 245,847 
			    
			 2012   
			 January 390,015 258,927 
			 February 490,316 341,405 
			 March 376,053 259,840 
			    
			 FY 2012/13   
		
	
	
		
			 2012   
			 April 292,705 194,380 
			 May 385,319 232,301

Food Technology: Curriculum

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many four to eleven year-olds received a minimum of 24 hours of practical cooking lessons per key stage in each of the last five years.

Sarah Teather: The Department does not collect this information.
	The Government believes that it is very important that children and young people learn about the importance of eating healthily and acquire the knowledge that will equip them to prepare healthy meals, and we believe that schools have an important role to play.
	Cooking is currently an element of design and technology in the national curriculum. In his recent announcement on the primary curriculum (Monday 11 June 2012), the Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), confirmed that design and technology will continue to be compulsory in all maintained schools in Key Stages 1 and 2, and the Department is now considering what the content of design and technology should be and on which it will consult. Decisions on the subjects to be included in the secondary national curriculum beyond English, maths and science will be announced in due course.

Human Rights: Children

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 25 April 2012, Official Report, columns 929-30W, on human rights: children, what contribution his Department is making to domestic policies with the objective of meeting the UK's commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Sarah Teather: The Government is committed to the UN convention on the rights of the child (UNCRC) and takes its obligation to implement the Convention seriously. In a written ministerial statement on 6 December 2010, Official Report, columns 5-7WS, the Government gave a commitment to
	“give due consideration to the UNCRC articles when making new policy and legislation”.
	We are using the UN Committee's 2008 Concluding Observations as a reference point for where we can strengthen policy and legislation.
	To reinforce the Government's commitment, the Department for Education is working alongside key children's rights organisations to raise awareness and understanding of the UNCRC in other Government Departments.
	A new version of the Cabinet Office “Guide to Making Legislation” has been published. It makes explicit the requirement to consider the UNCRC in the development of legislation. Bill teams with legislation in the second session have also received additional materials on the UNCRC through their pre-legislation training.
	The Department uses the Home Affairs clearance process to raise objections to any Government proposals that appear inconsistent with the articles of the convention.
	In the Department's own areas of responsibility:
	we are addressing the links between children's achievement in school and their background through a pupil premium to tackle inequality and to ensure resources and support reach the pupils who need them most;
	the revised statutory guidance on the roles and responsibilities of directors of children services and lead members of children services includes references to consideration of the convention;
	the Government is legislating to strengthen the role and functions of the children's commissioner;
	In May, we set out latest measures being taken to implement the Bailey review recommendations to protect children from excessive commercialisation and premature sexualisation. This included a consultation on age rating of hard copy music videos, and from this month, the introduction of a new system of age classification and labelling for videogames. On 28 June we began the process of seeking views from the information and communication industries, charities, parents and young people on current approaches to online safety, what improvements are already in development, and what more could be done;
	further legislative reforms were announced in the Queen's Speech, including in relation to children with special educational needs and disabilities, adoption and family law; and
	there have been significant reforms to the arrangements for children and families who have been unsuccessful in seeking asylum, prior to deportation, specifically the Government’s commitment to end the detention of children for immigration purposes and the closure of Yarl’s Wood detention centre.

Special Educational Needs: Teachers

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what training teachers receive to enable them to recognise (a) dyslexia and (b) autism in children; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 28 June 2012
	The Government is committed to improving the quality of training teachers receive to enable them to better identify all areas of special educational needs (SEN) including dyslexia and autism and overcome the barriers to learning that some children and young people face.
	Teacher training supports trainees to meet the standards for qualified teacher status. From September 2012, the new teacher standards will have a sharpened focus on meeting the broad range of pupils' needs including those with special educational needs.
	The Department has, between 2009 and 2011, funded up to 3200 teachers to undertake specialist dyslexia training courses approved by the British Dyslexia Association (BDA).
	We have also funded the Autism Education Trust—some £1.3 million over two years—to develop national standards for those working with autistic children and also tiered training at universal, enhanced and specialist levels and to deliver the universal training to at least 5,000 staff, including teachers, across the country.
	In addition, we have recently developed a range of advanced-level online training materials for teachers which include modules on both dyslexia and ASD. These are now available on the DFE website.
	Our National Scholarship Fund provides opportunities for teachers to apply to undertake Masters-level qualifications in specific impairments including dyslexia and ASD.
	Furthermore, we are committed to continuing to support the role of the SEN Co-ordinator (SENCO) in schools. Since 2009 almost 9000 teachers have been funded to undertake the masters-level SENCO training. Funding for a further 1,000 SENCOs has been confirmed for 2012/13. The training is designed to support teachers to meet the needs of all pupils with SEN, including those with dyslexia and ASD.

Trade Union Officials: Pay

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much funding from the public purse was spent on paying trade union officials salaries in the latest period for which figures are available.

Francis Maude: The Government has announced its intention to consult with the civil service trade unions on changes to current facility time arrangements. The consultation paper which will be published shortly will include details on public funding for facility time.

Broadband

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with internet service providers on improving broadband speeds for businesses.

Edward Vaizey: There has not been any recent specific discussion of broadband speeds for businesses; however, the Government is investing in superfast broadband to support economic growth for the benefit of all businesses and consumers. Many businesses have a choice of internet service providers, most of whom provide services and tariffs aimed at business and many of which would have specific service level agreements attached.

Broadband: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many businesses in Warrington he expects to receive investment to improve broadband speeds.

Edward Vaizey: The Government is investing in superfast broadband to support economic growth for the benefit of all businesses and consumers. However, there has been no specific assessment of the number of businesses in Warrington that would benefit.

Armed Forces Pay Review Body

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was to his Department of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: The cost to the Ministry of Defence of the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body (AFPRB) for financial year 2011-12 was £83,550. This represents the daily rates paid to members of the review body. Their travel and subsistence costs are borne by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, through the Office of Manpower Economics.

Armed Forces: Bullying

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of bullying and harassment have been sent to the service complaints commissioner by disabled members of the armed forces in the last 12 months.

Andrew Robathan: This information is not held in the format requested. The Service Complaints Commissioner's Report for 2011 has been placed in the Library of the House and states that 100 potential service complaints for bullying and harassment were submitted during that year. However, the figures do not distinguish between able bodied and disabled complainants.

Armed Forces: Young People

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will assess whether 16 and 17 year old recruits in the Army receive the same level of education and transferable skills that they would receive had they stayed on in mainstream education.

Andrew Robathan: All 16 and 17-year-old recruits in the Army attending either the Army Foundation College Harrogate or the Army Technical Foundation College Winchester receive a coherent education package that focuses largely on improving their level of functional skills, including literacy and numeracy to at least Level 1.
	At the Army Foundation College Harrogate, all soldiers are enrolled on a Level 2 Apprenticeship for Information Technology. At the Army Technical Foundation College Winchester, the focus is to set in place the academic foundation that the recruits will need in order to succeed at their chosen apprenticeship, such as engineering or mechanics. All of these skills are transferable.
	In addition to this, the Common Military Syllabus includes a range of subjects such as first aid, map reading and values and standards. Recruits also receive training and education that is designed to build the foundations of leadership and emphasises skills such as communication, team work and problem-solving, all of which are transferable skills.
	We aim for all Army personnel to have reached at least Level 1 in literacy and numeracy within three years of enlistment and all Army personnel continue to follow a programme of personal improvement throughout their career.

Civil Proceedings

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what evidential basis he used to support his decision to introduce closed material procedures in civil proceedings.

Kenneth Clarke: The Justice and Security Green Paper gave a figure of 27 cases which were posing difficulties on account of relevant sensitive information. There are now estimated to be 29 live cases which fall into this category. The Government believes that CMPs are proportionate, and targeted at dealing with this specific problem. The settlement of the civil damages claims brought by former Guantanamo Bay detainees is an example of the inadequacies of the Public Interest Immunity system in dealing with cases involving large volumes of sensitive material.

Prisoners: Training and Education

Claire Perry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on improving training and skills of adult prisoners to improve their employment chances after the end of their sentence and reduce the risk of reoffending.

Crispin Blunt: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friends, the Member for Rugby (Mark Pawsey) and Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys (Paul Maynard), earlier today.
	I worked closely with the Minister for Skills for the Department of Business Innovation and Skills during the preparation of the new offender learning strategy published last year, and officials from both Departments have worked closely on implementation. I fully recognise the importance of learning and training in making prisoners more employable and my officials and I are also working with the DWP to provide enhanced employment support via the Work programme.

EU Grants and Loans

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the funding under heading 1a of the EU Budget, Competitiveness for growth and employment, was spent in the UK in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: Programmes under heading 1A competitiveness for growth and employment are structured differently and not all funds come though the Government's accounts. BIS does not hold information on the draw down of funds from the EU that have been spent in the UK where we are not the managing authority or where the money is competitively bid for by individuals, academic institutions or business. (Information on public sector receipts by fund, and not by budget headings, are centrally held.) As a result we do not have information on how much of the EU Budget 2002-12 has been spent in the UK under heading 1A.
	However, the majority of the heading is made up of the framework programme for research and innovation on which we do hold some indicative figures. For contracts signed in the four-year period of FP6 (2002-06) UK organisations would have received a maximum of €2.38 billion which is 14.2% of the total commission funding to FP6.
	For grant agreements signed in FP7 (2007 to date) UK organisations are likely to receive a maximum of €3.73 billion, which is 14.7% of the total commission funding allocated to date for FP7.
	Data source:
	EC FP6 contracts and participants' database, released on 2 June 2008 and EC FP7 grant agreements and participants' database, released on 28 February 2012.

Mental Health

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to promote good mental health and well-being in his Department.

Norman Lamb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) takes the health and well-being of its employees very seriously and has a number of measures in place to promote good mental health and well-being. These include policies and guidance specifically targeted at promoting mental health and well-being within the Department, as well as a variety of wider measures that contribute to this agenda. These include the following:
	Creating a culture of openness and support
	BIS wants all of its employees to feel safe to discuss mental health problems without fear of stigma, harassment or isolation. We provide guidance for individuals and line managers on our intranet pages in order to raise their awareness of mental health and other well-being issues and to provide support and information when needed. This guidance covers a range of health and well-being issues, including health fact sheets on a variety of mental health conditions. This is supported by an annual 'wellbeing week' (usually in November), during which we run a series of workshops, events and seminars on various aspects of well-being.
	BIS employees all have access to our Employee Assistance Programme, a dedicated information and counselling support service. In addition the Department has a Disability Advisory Group, which includes a sub-group specifically dedicated to mental health issues. BIS also has a medical adviser, who helps the Department to consider reasonable adjustments for employees when required and makes suggestions as to things which might make it easier for them to carry out their duties.
	Promoting a good work/ life balance
	BIS offers a range of flexible working options to help its employees to have a healthy and fulfilled life both inside and outside of work. These include home working, part-time working, compressed hours, term time/annualised hours, flexi time and job sharing arrangements. In addition BIS provides paid and unpaid time off to support work-life balance such as career breaks of up to three years, generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave and paid special leave (five days) to cover emergencies such as a breakdown in caring arrangements.
	Job-related support for employees
	All BIS staff have access to appropriate training, on-the-job support and are given the opportunity to participate in the department's mentoring scheme. The learning and development offer for all staff includes an e-learning module on equality and diversity, which all employees are strongly encouraged to undertake.
	Encouraging good relationships
	BIS's work on health and well-being is supported by our values and behaviours, which help to ensure that all staff are clear about what is expected of them and the types of behaviours that the Department considers unacceptable. Many of our policies, for example on discipline, harassment and bullying, also contribute to the mental health and well-being agenda and provide clear signposts and advice for employees who feel they are being harassed or bulled in the workplace.
	Measuring mental health and well - being
	We have recently conducted a telephone campaign across the Department to increase the proportion of staff who declare their diversity information on our HR system. This will enable us to better assess the impact of our policies on different groups of staff, including those with mental health issues. In addition BIS will be participating in the civil service wide People Survey in October, which will include some new questions aimed at measuring overall well-being across Departments.

Postage Stamps: World War I

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will ask Royal Mail to produce special (a) postage stamps and (b) franking to commemorate the centenary of the First World War between 2014 to 2018; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: Operational matters, which include decisions about Royal Mail's commemorative stamps and postmarks, are the direct responsibility of the company's management.
	Royal Mail does have a well-established process for choosing its stamp themes and subjects to capture the anniversaries of historical events of national importance. The company's researchers examine all major anniversaries over a five-year period and will consider all ideas proposed by members of the public and organisations.
	Royal Mail is currently in the process of finalising the subjects for their 2014 programme and will be making an announcement of these in 2013. The company is very conscious of the significance and importance of the centenary of the first world war and this is being taken into full consideration as their plans for their 2014 programme are finalised.

Trade Promotion

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to implement the recommendations in the report by the British Chambers of Commerce, Exporting is Good for Britain but Breaking into New Markets Requires Planning to promote training and mentoring for market research, export planning and product development; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Government agrees with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) about the importance of training and mentoring for market research, export planning and product development. The export promotion services offered by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), including their Passport to Export programme and Export Marketing Research Scheme, provide support to Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), particularly new and inexperienced exporters, to build their skills and capability to plan, research and develop a strategy for market entry. Modest amounts of financial support are available from UKTI under those schemes, including for companies to undertake overseas market visits and to participate in overseas trade exhibitions.

Vocational Training

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to re-skill and up-skill the workforce.

John Hayes: The Government is clear that in order for the UK to compete globally, we must have a world-class skills base across all sectors. The Government recognises that employers and professional representative bodies are best placed to devise and deliver the skills the British work force needs. This demand-led model was given life by the publication of “Skills for Sustainable Growth” in November 2010. “New Challenges New Chances” published in December 2011 reaffirmed our approach and set out Government's plans for skills to 2015.
	Government fully accepts there is still more to do. The Employer Ownership Pilot was launched on 15 May 2012 as a further step to achieving business ownership of the skills agenda. It is giving employers direct access to up to £250 million of public investment for training and apprenticeships over the next two years (up to £50 million in round 1 and up to £200 million in round 2).
	The first round of bids was received in April for a share of the £250 million fund which will route public investment directly to employers. 269 bids were received from businesses looking to design and develop their own vocational training programmes. Bids are seeking a total of around £400 million of public investment in this first round of the pilot.
	We are continuing the important work to improve and expand apprenticeships, particularly at Levels 3 and 4 to ensure that the British work force has the skills required at intermediate technician and associate professional level.
	To help create apprenticeship opportunities, and to grow the programme among small and medium enterprises, in April this year Government introduced incentive payments of £1,500 for small employers who take on their first new apprentice aged 16-24. The total number of incentive places available in 2012/13 is 40,000.